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January 02, 2006
Stuff I read in 2005
Some stuff I read in 2005. Certainly not a comprehensive list, but you get what you pay for.
A Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood.
Distopian fable from an ultra-feminist perspective. Fundametalist Christians have taken over the government, hidden the keys to the liquor cabinet, and subjugated women to birthing, food preparation and interior decorating. The latter is necessary since they kill all the homosexuals and hang them from "The Wall". Entertaining and thought-provoking, although it kept provoking the same thought: Why am I a man and why do I suck so much? I liked the afterword by the anthropologists. Read it.
Foucault's Pendulum, Umberto Eco.
One of those "smart" books. As with anything Pynchon, it's a badge of intellectual honor to been seen carrying or reading it. Whatever -boring as hell. So I didn't get it. Sue me. By the time you get to anything remotely interesting its too late. The prose has its moments, but the translation from Italian is awkward. Don't read it.
The Rainbow Stories, William T. Vollmann.
Easily the best book I read in 2005. Not a novel so much as a compendium of well crafted literary tableaux. Each story describes the least of society - from Skinheads to hookers to faceless killer machines - you'll care about each and every one of them - and "Yellow Rose" will knock your fucking socks off. Read it.
Odd Thomas, Dean Koontz.
A fun read. Koontz style is freewheeling and descriptive. Here you are in the action and at the same time hovering over it, privy to details that aren't completely apparent to the characters. Any book with a character called "Fungus Man" is worth a try. Some plot elements aren't fully explained, but that's OK. Do you make your bed every morning? Didn't think so.
I thought that the twist at the end was well done. Read it.
The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown.
Complex plot as described with grade-school prose. If you can deal with the ham-fisted metaphors and clumsy sentence structure, you may enjoy the journey. The historical elements are interesting. Read it.
A Scanner Darkly, Philip K. Dick.
Reading this is what it must be like to listen to Pink Floyd or The Grateful Dead while straight: Entertaining enough but leaves the impression that a deeper meaning lies just beneath the surface. Explores the relationship between criminal and cop - one can't exist without the other - as deftly as last weeks Law and Order episode. The descriptions and settings are dated - you know without any explanation that it was written in the seventies. Read it.
Ulysses, James Joyce.
Just kidding. I've got a life.
Posted by Sprinky at January 2, 2006 02:03 PM
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